Friday, 4 May 2012

Well, you could take a trip down to London Bridge for the amazing immersive theatre experience, Tomorrow's World Today.

Recreating a Victorian street scene in a tunnel under London Bridge station, Tomorrow's World Today is the primer to Clockwork Watch, an immersive participatory story set in a steampunk vision of Victorian England. The first installment of the steampunk transmedia project, Tomorrow's World Today is the entry point to the three year long story.

In Tomorrow's World Today, British society has fallen on hard times, the gap between ‘haves and have nots’ grows wider by the day. The Saryn War has decimated the population, driving many below the poverty line. Parents push children out onto the streets to beg for handouts. Life for the lower classes in Victorian England is nothing short of bleak.

In these dark days, her Majesty’s Government looks to Science for hope and has dedicated a department to search for a miracle. With the words “think the unthinkable” ringing in their ears, a group of esteemed scientists and engineers set about creating a brighter future, using clockwork mechanics to achieve their goals.

A decline in trade, power shortages and the inability to manufacture energy-efficient products has left British industry in the doldrums, but on a local level – the amateur maker and boffin ethos thrives. People begin to innovate and experiment at home, creating a thriving cottage industry of inventors and alchemists. Government efforts to regulate the proliferation of gadgets, sciences and medicines have failed, so now it invites these makers to showcase their creations at “Tomorrow’s World Today”, an exhibition of science hosted at the offices of the London Necropolis Company at No. 10 Bermondsey Street Tunnel.

The narrative of Clockwork Watch is played out across graphic novels, interactive promenade theatre, freeform role-play, online adventures, an interactive book, and a feature film, telling the story of a British society recovering from a war that has decimated the population but has a thriving cottage industry of inventors and alchemists. The audience will become participants in this make-believe world and the "Tomorro's World Today" event features a Victorian cocktail lounge, live music and a steampunk market.

Created by Yomi Ayeni of Articipate Media, the world began with a shared story-world prologue with contributions from patrons who crowdfunded the project, including the first 40 people to pre-order copies of “The Arrival”, the project's first graphic novel.

"Don your amazing outfits, and step into a world where Victorian values collide with anachronistic technologies. The fun starts at 2pm on 6 May at London Necropolis Company at No. 10 Bermondsey Street Tunnel.

Participants will have character cards with tasks and information, move through sets, gather clues, join demonstrations and solve mysteries.

You are welcome to come in costume, as a character or as yourself."

If we understand correctly, then the excellent Professor Elemental will be appearing for your musical delectation!

For more details on this excellent project, visit their website, and get down to Bermondsey Street!